Are you a professional who’s not sure what they want to do when they “grow up”? Maybe you’ve worked in the same industry for a few years, or even longer, and have realized that kind of work just isn’t for you, or you’ve become interested in another industry. Whatever the reason, you’re looking for something new and now you have to create a resume tailored to this new industry. Building an effective professional resume can already be challenging, even more so when it’s targeting positions outside of your primary industry experience, so here are three simple resume tricks to utilize when moving industries.
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Utilize Search Engine Optimized (SEO) Terms Relevant to the Industry
When viewing your resume, hiring managers could be put off by the fact that your job positions aren’t relevant to what is being applied for. To combat this, build out a skills section that aligns with your skillset and highlights those transferable skills you have that are highly applicable to this industry. Include skills likely to be searched by industry hiring managers, ensuring your resume is optimized for that industry.
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Include measurable career achievements while leaving off irrelevant jargon
Highlight major accomplishments you’ve had throughout your career using quantifiable metrics, so that hiring managers know you’re capable of driving success within a company, regardless of the industry. When switching industries, the technical jargon that was required for your previous career isn’t relevant to the new industry you’re looking to break into, so leave nontransferable technical terms and information off the resume.
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Consider alternative resume formats
Chronological is often the go-to format for resumes, but when switching industries, you should consider your formatting options. Functional can be used to highlight the transferable skills and career accomplishments you have that would be relevant to that industry, letting hiring managers focus on that as opposed to your job history.